Whatcom County wines range from traditional varieties featuring Yakima Valley grapes to very unique blends and ingredients, including locally-grown raspberries and hazelnuts. Wineries are open year-round for tastings and tours. Distilleries are wide ranging as well, including both an apple orchard making vodka, gin, and brandy, and an urban spot in Downtown Bellingham. Find cideries too, with many offerings.
Inviting bars and happy hours are also plentiful in Bellingham and surrounding Whatcom County. Sip, savor, and sightsee all at once!
Samson Estates Winery is a small family-owned winery located in the Nooksack Valley in the northernmost corner of Washington State’s Puget Sound Appellation.
They carry a few grape varietals of wine, but the true pride and joy at Samson Estates is their award-winning fruit wines, made with fruit grown right on the farm.
Visit their tasting room to try for yourself!
Peak behind the curtain at Chuckanut Bay Distillery in downtown Bellingham to see--and taste--how the magic is made.
The hour-long distillery tour is an experiential delight for the senses. Smell the inside of a charred American white oak barrel used to age award-winning Bourbon, feel the heat from an active ferment in a traditional wooden washback, see the inside of a secret barrel room, and so much more. Book a spot in a group tour or arrange a private tour.
When you're done, stop at the distillery's adjoining restaurant, Penny Farthing, for dinner and more drinks.
Stroll through the apple orchards at Bellewood Farms and then head to the tasting room to sample an amazing array of spirits made from apples grown on-site.
Bellewood makes incredibly unique, vodkas, bourbons, and gins that are perfect for sipping, gifting, or mixing.
Bellingham Cider Compnay produces craft cider locally and also has a restaurant with a full bar in downtown Bellingham.
Their small-batch ciders are made with 100% Washington apples and have no added sulfites, sugars, or preservatives. Offering numerous flavors, try a classic dry cider or unique options like blackberry ginger, strawberry lemonade, cucumber lime, and many more!
Lost Giants is the cidery for beer lovers. Opened in 2018 by three former Kulshan Brewing employees, they specialize in producing dry ciders for canning and distribution. Housed in a huge industrial space off Meador Avenue, Lost Giants’ production facility features a spacious tasting room with a variety of colorful and experimental ciders on tap.
Walking in, you’ll likely be greeted by one of the owners behind the bar. They can help you pick and choose several ciders for your sample tray, from the excellent dry and heirloom ciders to unique flavors like jalapeño cucumber, pineapple habanero, and elderberry.
